Opinion Journal: ‘Normalizing’ Cuba’s Dictatorship

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... we will and not the approach that ... for decades has failed to advance our interests ... instead it ... will begin to normalize relations between our two countries ... through these changes ... we intend to create more opportunities for the American and Cuban people ... to begin a new chapter ... among the nations of the Americas ... welcome to Opinion Journal I'm Mary Kissel ... that was present Obama making a major change in our policy towards the dictatorship in Cuba ... what is it mean to extend a hand of friendship to the Castro regime ... Americas Columnist Mary Anastasia O'Grady is here Mary ... who got the better deal Cuba or the United States ... well in this case I would say that Cuba gets it because what the president is doing errands and he is ... handing over political legitimacy to the dictatorship ... and got you know we we have always had a policy toward Cuba that what we're happy to do business with them and help them ... but they have to give out basic human rights to their people have begun and ... now he's changing that policy which is to say that we are going to give them legitimacy and hope that later on they give rights to their people now it's good news for Alan Gross the USA a key contractor is coming home however ... is a real vacation they Cuba ... has made friendly overtures to Isis has ... made friends with our friends Inspur and our enemies ... what you know what I think that what a lot of the split like that scene is just the release of political prisoners now they are sending ... acts is I think there's fifty three Cubans who will be released or political prisoners ... but you know ... first of all if there are exiled from the country that is on exactly Liberty ... and second we um you know and what's to stop them from rounding up another fifty three next week which is what they do all the time and by the way let's not forget that there are a number of foreign businessmen in channeling Cuba ... for I'd be there accused of corruption I as soon as this are doing well in their businesses than the accuse of corruption and they lose all the assets they acquired so it's a dangerous place to do business this will not be the last hostage to Cuba takes there's bipartisan outrage on Capitol Hill Senator Bob Menendez from New Jersey ... on the left center marker Rubio on the right ... Menendez said this action quote vindicated the brutal behavior of the Cuban government you agree ... well I think it's quite obvious that in this hostage taking of Alan grows ... by the Cuban government I lay down the line said you know we we add eight give us these things or we're not going to let him down so it is assertive indication when ... you give in to the hostage taker on ... the Menendez obviously has a big the Cuban American constituency ... aam but I think it goes broader than just you know people who ... have some kind of in relation to the island I mean there's a basic human right problems here ... and it's not limited to two Q a on the you know it what we're seeing here is that if you want to change US policy ... taken hostage in our Cuba is basically running the police force in Venezuela were imposing more sanctions on them ... yet were lifting all these restrictions on Cuba where's the consistency Mary ... one on one of the things that's very unfortunate is that as the oil price plummets ... I'd be the day how that Cuba has been getting from Venice well it is going to diminish ... and as Cuba gets weaker ... financially and economically ... that's when it starts to make changes we saw that a ninety four when things were really bad ... they started to liberalize a little bit so this would have been an opportunity ... I've to see them start to do things out of necessity and a fall of a sudden there's a big flag of us dollars into the country by the way it will go to the people it will go to the receiver were propping up the regime the men of people get these worthless Cuban pesos that's what they get paid and so we're not really helping the key Cuban people but where helping Mary Jane helping me catch helping the Castro's ... America's Thomas Mary Anastasia O'Grady thank so much or ...